Make A Wish (Dandelion #1) (11 page)

“Okay, then tell me how it was. Cause I assure you, I had to pick up some very damaged pieces and it wasn’t easy to put them back together.”

Though Saylor’s face was still streaked with newly fallen tears, the sadness had been replaced with frustration.

“I care about Jules, Saylor. It about killed me to leave her like that, but I have certain expectations from my family and she isn’t the type of girl that would be accepted. Me leaving her was the only thing I could do to keep her from being hurt even more in the long run.” I sighed and noticed her face finally soften.

“Then why sleep with her? Why not just leave after you danced with her at
Rush?
I guarantee, you both would be hurting a lot less right now.”

“Okay, I agree with you on that, but in just a split second she had me crawling after her like a lovesick puppy. There was no denying her. I was a coward.”

“Yes. I second that thought.” She winked, instantly lightening the mood. I was thankful that, at least for a minute, the inquisition was on hold.

Saylor and Jack finally slid into the booth across from me. We sat in silence, none of us really sure what to say or do to break the silence but eventually someone did.

We were there for what felt like ages, Jack and Saylor reminiscing on their most memorable moments that they’d shared with Juliette.

Having just recently met her, I sat back and listened, laughing when necessary and watching as they both lit up like Christmas lights when talking about her.

Jack went on and on about how animated and infuriating she could be, telling tales of times where she’d gone out of her way just to piss him off, almost as if she lived to irritate him. She was always friendly and sweet to customers but when business was slow or she got bored, she made it a game to see how quickly she could make him mad.

Putting dish soap in the dishwasher and watching it overflow all over the kitchen area, replacing the sugar shakers that he used with salt... Oh, and then there was the time she put superglue on a fork he was using on his lunch break.

In the grand scheme of things, they were small little pranks, so he brushed it off, admitting that Juliette was by far the best employee that
Ziggy’s
had. Putting up with it was a small sacrifice to make.

I chuckled at that and thought about how much I didn’t know about her. I had never seen that side of her before.
But I wanted to.

The woman I met was beautiful but modest, reserved if you will. She was playful and spirited, yet different from any of the girls I’ve ever met. Listening to them speak about her in such an absolute way only proved how special of a person she was.

The conversation shifted as Saylor began talking about the time that Juliette nearly quit her old job. She had worked in a place that was like a Chuck-E-Cheese and a McDonald’s hybrid. A couple was there throwing a birthday party for their three-year-old son when he’d slipped and cut open his knee, crying in complete hysterics. Juliette had stopped working and had walked out of the kitchen, only to bend down and clean up the little boy’s wounds. As she helped him stand up, she made a joke and the little boy’s face brightened into the biggest smile she’d ever seen. After that, Jules went and grabbed him an ice cream cone for being such a brave little guy.

The manager had apparently been furious that she’d stopped working, which only ticked Juliette off even more. She’d stood up to the boss, reminding him that without guests like that little boy’s family, their business wouldn’t even be operational. She’d thought she would have been praised for her good deed but she was thoroughly surprised she’d gotten a verbal beating for it. After that, she only worked there for a few weeks before quitting, the poisonous environment stressing her out.

As Saylor had told the story, tears filled her eyes and Jack took it as his moment to pull her into his arms, holding her close as she collected herself. It seemed completely unlike Jack to show that kind of emotion and it overall left me at a loss for words.

I didn’t understand the sudden change in those two.
What did I miss?

We sat there for a tad longer until eventually we all parted ways, Juliette on all of our minds. Would she ever be found? And if she was, what kind of condition would she be in?

JULIETTE

Dear Baby.

Guess what? I’m finally beginning to show a little! My bump is tiny and barely noticeable to someone who doesn’t see me on an everyday basis, but I can definitely see it. It’s weird to be thinking that you’re growing in there, that a little human is inside of me. That I made you.

You couldn’t be more of a blessing to me. In the dark time of my life, you brought me hope and you still do. I have no doubt that you always will.

I’m dying for the day that I find out if you’re a little girl or little boy. Will I be taking you to dance classes or soccer practice? It seems crazy to be thinking of me doing those things and I don’t think I’ve fully wrapped my head around those ideas but they’re there, rolling around in my brain.

I still haven’t gotten the chance to tell Beau that he’s going to be a father, and I’m scared for that day. I’m not ready to face him yet. I feel like when I do that, that I’m losing you. I haven’t known about you for long, but you’re my miracle and it’s hard to face that you aren’t just mine. You’re his too. But it’s not just that, either. I’m scared more than anything that he may reject you, that he’ll question whether you’re his or even just walk away completely.

As someone who’s grown up without parents and family, I know how important it is for you to have one. And please know that even if Beau isn’t in the picture, I’ll always be here and so will your Aunt Saylor.

I’m your mom and I love you so much already, you can’t possibly imagine to what extent.

Xoxo, Mommy

LAURA

I sat outside my favorite coffee shop, waiting for my son to arrive. The sun began setting in the distance, painting the sky in beautiful hues of pinks, yellows, and oranges.

It only took a good ten or so minutes of waiting before my son pulled up on his motorcycle and climbed off. His boyish smile extended throughout his face, all of his stress and worries momentarily escaping him.

“Hey, Mom!” Beau spoke, giving me a tight hug as if he hadn’t seen me in years, when in actuality it’d only been a matter of weeks.

“Hey, sweetheart.”

My heart was at ease being around him. I felt as if I was now whole once more. Every moment spent with him put me at awe of the man that he’d grown up to become, taking on such responsibility at a young age and tackling it with complete alacrity.

As we sat and ordered some coffees, I took in the rugged look of my son. His usually clean-shaven face was now a mess of bristles accompanied by dark bags under his eyes. His hair seemed longer than I remembered, sticking out from various places among his head.

“What’s wrong?”

“What gives you the idea that there’s something wrong?” Beau responded, doing the very thing that he knew irked me to no end
—
responding to a question with a question.

“Honey, don’t. I’m your mother. I can tell when something is bothering you. I mean, look at you. You’re a mess.” I half-smiled, though my expression was grim. I watched the battle that raged inside his eyes, Beau contemplating my every word.

Out of nowhere, a loud sigh escaped him. The only motion made was his shoulders tensing as he spoke.

“A few months ago, I met this girl. Juliette.”

My body shook, eyes brimming with confoundment. “Is she your mate? What’s she like? Is she pretty? Can I meet her?” The questions came out back to back in rapid-fire succession, not even giving him enough time to answer. I couldn’t help my excitement. I’d been waiting for this day.

“It’s isn’t like that. She’s human and I haven’t seen her since our last time together a few months ago.”

My body deflated like a balloon releasing all of the helium in short wisps. I sat back in my seat and allowed Beau to continue, trying my best to not interject.

“About a week or so ago, I found a note in the bushes in front of my house. It was from her, asking to talk. I don’t know how long it had been there. The note said that she had something important she wanted to discuss with me.” He paused, running a hand through his unruly hair, only further causing it to stick up in different angles. “I dropped by her place to talk to her, only for there to be no answer. So instead I swung by the diner she works at, her friend and my old friend Jack
—
whose her boss
—
were there. They told me she had been kidnapped.”

My eyes were vacant and my body motionless. I hadn’t anticipated the conversation taking a turn in the direction it had.

“They also said the police had closed the investigation because they were lacking evidence. They’re giving up on finding her and don’t even care that she is still out there somewhere in the hands of whoever took her.”

Beau hung his head and took steady breaths to calm his nerves. Even if they could never be together, just knowing she was out there somewhere living her life happily would have made him feel all the better. That is, till she was taken.

“Oh geez.” I shuddered thinking about the poor girl, praying that wherever she was, she’d be found and returned safely to her friends and family. I placed my hand on my son’s shoulder, trying to mentally shove all my strength into his body, as if there was such a way.

In all the parenting books I’d read throughout Beau’s lifetime, never once was I given advice about what to do when one of your son’s friends is kidnapped.

“Everything about her scares me, Mom. She’s human and the emotions that I’m feeling for her are so strong, they don’t make sense. From the start, I’ve tried to do the right thing, but she keeps finding her way back into my life. I don’t know what to do.” For a man who was usually pretty quiet, Beau spilled the beans to me pretty quickly.

I was more perceptive than most, and I was facing the only other being who I knew better than myself. I was looking into the face of the sweet little boy who’d run from the bus stop carrying flowers for me, the very same one that had scared the living daylights out of me when he’d first learned to phase into his wolf form. This was
my
son, my boy, and he cared deeply for this girl. “She must be pretty amazing if she has captivated you already. I can see it in your eyes. I hope that I get the chance to meet her.”

“She is one of the most incredible girls that I’ve ever met. Her smile lights up every room she walks into. And unlike most girls, she doesn’t try to be anyone other than herself. Juliette is everything I’ve ever hoped for, but I just don’t know how to let her go. With her abduction, I can’t even talk to her. I can’t tell her how I’m feeling. And hardest of all, I can’t let her go even though I know that I absolutely have to.”

BEAU

I sighed as I thought over the words that had spilled unexpectedly from me. I hadn’t realized the extent of my feelings for her until they came pouring out. Not to mention, as sweet as my mom was, the last thing I wanted to do was burden her with all the stress that I’d been dealing with.

“What about the pack?”

“What do you mean what about the pack?” I asked her, utterly confused as to where this conversation was beginning to head.

“Can’t you use pack resources to help find her? Since the police closed the investigation, you don’t have to worry about them interfering with whatever you do.”

“Well, I was going to start looking for her myself. I just came to that conclusion this morning. I didn’t think of including the whole pack in a search for one human.”

“She isn’t
just
a human. I’ve taught you better than that, Beau. Regardless of species, each life is precious. Besides, isn’t it the pack’s job to protect humans if and when circumstances like this arise?” Mom moved her chair back to the other side of the table as she sat back and sipped her already chilling coffee.

“I mean, yeah. But…”

“But what? Don’t you want to find her? And isn’t the pack the fastest way to do that?”

“Yes.” I was suddenly taken aback by the hard tone in my mom’s voice. She was already too invested in this, and deep down I knew she was right, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that
I
wanted to be the one to rescue her. That wasn’t selfish, right? But it was and I knew it.

After saying my goodbyes to my mother, I climbed onto the back of my bike, brooding, only to realize that it shouldn’t matter who rescued her, just as long as she was found healthy and safe. As long as her beautiful aqua eyes fluttered and her mellifluous voice still spoke, even if it wasn’t to me.

Furthermore, Saylor needed Juliette and as little as I knew of their friendship, what I did know was the girls were a package deal and together was where they belonged.

I would be sure to make that happen. The other option was too grim to even consider.

JULIETTE

I woke to the sound of a door being closed somewhere else in the building I was in. No matter how many times I twisted and turned, no position in the universe could help me get comfortable on the hard floor.

The chill of the alloy chains against my wrists and ankles made the already unbearable situation even worse. Every muscle in my body ached from my lack of everyday movement and I craved the moment when I’d have my free will back.

I may even take Saylor up on her offer to go workout in a gym, which therein itself is pretty comical
.

The walls stifled the voices speaking in the room beside mine and no amount of straining would magically allow me to hear what was being said. I sighed, leaning my head back on the wall. Closing my eyes, my bound hands rested on top of my small ever growing bulge.

I wasn’t sure how long I was sitting in that position before the two kidnappers entered the room. The one whom I now knew as Miguel carried alcohol swabs and multiple syringes and vials. Miles was rolling up his sleeves and placing his hands inside two latex rubber gloves.

As the men came up beside me, it was in that instant that all the memories
—
from the hour of my parents passing all the way up to the day I aged out of the group home
—
came flooding back to me all over again. All the mental and physical abuse I endured playing like a montage through my head. I felt as if it happened every time they entered the room, though it could have been my body’s way of mentally preparing myself for whatever they had in store.

Miles placed his hand on my arm to steady it just enough, to make it easier to slide the syringe into the nearest vein, just as he’d done countless times before. I once again didn’t disappoint, using every ounce of strength within me to protect myself and the little life growing inside my stomach.

Life wasn’t supposed to be like this and I vowed to myself that if I could find a way to escape, I would make sure to turn my life around for good. I wouldn’t just talk about it, I’d make it happen.

I twisted my body the best I could and kicked behind the kneeling Miles, aiming for the back of his head. I must have gotten quite predictable because he somehow managed to protect himself against every move I made. Every time I fought them, it grew harder and harder to think of new attack methods. All the violence I’d seen growing up hadn’t prepared me for this.

My kicking continued manically. Miguel stood off to the side observing, yet taking no action to jump in and help his so-called friend.

Miles’ eyes darkened as he released my arm and swung his right hand up, smacking me clear across my left cheek. Though the first blow stung, the following ones were much more painful. He continued, alternating with the slaps across both of my cheeks.

Pure agitation grew to fill his eyes as I continued to fight against him, despite all his efforts to once again break me. Miles paused, only to place his two hands around my neck. Although I’d managed to get in a few good swings, the moment his grip tightened, I gasped, trying to suck in as much air as possible. With each second it grew harder.